Five people died when an Amazon cargo plane overshot a runway at Miami International Airport on September 6, 2026, crashing into vehicles outside the perimeter. Federal investigators are examining whether the Boeing 767 touched down too late to stop safely as flight disruptions continue across Florida travel hubs.
Federal investigators examining why a cargo jet barreled off a runway at Miami International Airport are focusing on the aircraft’s touchdown point and braking performance. The National Transportation Safety Board deployed a team led by Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to investigate the Sunday afternoon disaster, which sent thick black smoke billowing into the Florida sky.
Devastation on the Ground and Inside the Cleaning Van
The tragedy claimed five lives on the ground when the jet struck vehicles outside the airport property. Federal officials confirmed that all five victims who died were inside a transport van carrying seven employees from an airline cleaning contractor, Professional Ocean Service Corp. An SUV was also struck outside the airport perimeter.
Homendy walked the path of the aircraft on Monday, inspecting tire tracks stretching from the pavement into the grass, twisted navigational equipment, and fencing everywhere
scattered across the impact zone. In addition to the five fatalities, three people suffered critical injuries and two others were hospitalized with less severe wounds, according to emergency officials.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Chief Ray Jadallah reported that the crash trapped the flight’s pilot and copilot inside the cockpit, alongside multiple occupants in crushed cars. Emergency crews also had to extricate a person pinned beneath a vehicle amid a complex engine compartment fire.
Investigating Touchdown Zones, Speed, and Weather Factors
Investigators spent Monday reviewing flight data recorders and video footage of the landing. Aviation experts noted that commercial planes typically touch down within the first 3,000 feet of a runway. Video reviewed by safety specialists suggests the cargo jet remained airborne well past that standard zone before making contact with the pavement.
Former Transportation Department Inspector General Mary Schiavo noted that online video clips show the aircraft floating above the runway for an extended duration without a traditional nose-up flare to force the main landing gear down. While rain was absent, dark storm clouds and strong winds were present. Schiavo pointed out that a tailwind could have exacerbated the overrun by pushing the aircraft further down the strip.
Investigators are also examining the aircraft’s maintenance background.
Airport Safety Standards and Ongoing Flight Disruptions
The accident reignited questions regarding runway safety technology. Miami International Airport lacks engineered material arresting systems—crushable concrete beds designed to safely stop overrunning aircraft—which the Federal Aviation Administration has installed at more than 120 airports nationwide.
The disaster triggered severe travel disruptions across South Florida. A full ground stop was enacted Sunday afternoon, and while two of the airport’s four runways reopened by late Sunday evening under direction from Miami-Dade County Aviation Department communications director Greg Chin, two runways remained closed into Tuesday.
Flight tracking data from FlightAware showed dozens of cancellations and delays impacting major carriers including American, Southwest, Delta, and United. Arriving flights continued diverting to alternative regional facilities, including Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, and Orlando International Airport, located more than 200 miles north.